| Fonts are a set of glyphs or images that represent | | | | light, regular, and bold. The regular font weight for |
| characters from some particular character set in a | | | | most typefaces is slightly lighter than medium. Many |
| particular size and typeface. The fonts term comes | | | | computer fonts for Microsoft Office, Web and |
| from the Middle French fonte, from fondre (meaning | | | | common use come with a normal, regular and a bold |
| to melt or cast) which referred to type produced by | | | | weight. Font Weight relative order: thinultra lightextra |
| casting molten metal at a type foundry. Fonts in | | | | lightlightsemi lightbookregular, (roman), plain, |
| printing, sometimes called Fount, are a complete set | | | | normalmediumdemi bold or semi boldboldextra |
| of type of any one size, with all the usual points and | | | | boldheavyblackextra blackultra Font Width |
| accents; a font consists of about 100,000 characters. | | | | compressed, condensed, narrowwide, extended Font |
| In computers, a computer font is an electronic data | | | | Families There are a multitude of typefaces that |
| file which contains a set of glyphs, characters, or | | | | have been created over the centuries and they are |
| symbols such as wingdings. Although the term font | | | | commonly categorized into font families according to |
| first referred to a set of metal type sorts in one | | | | their appearance. At the highest level, one can |
| style and size, since the 1990's most fonts are digital | | | | differentiate between blackletter, serif, sans serif, |
| and used for computers or computer devices. | | | | and decorative fonts. |
| Ascender is a leading provider of advanced font | | | | 1. Blackletter Fonts Blackletter fonts were the earliest |
| products specializing in type design, multilingual font | | | | fonts used with the invention of the printing press. |
| development & licensing and software | | | | They resemble the artistic handwritings of cloisters in |
| development for mobile phones. The Ascender team | | | | the Middle Ages and fall into three groups: Gothic |
| is renowned for its TrueType and OpenType font | | | | fonts and Old English Text - Of all the blackletter |
| expertise, and can tune fonts and create custom | | | | fonts, the Gothic ones most closely resemble the |
| fonts for on-screen legibility in Microsoft Windows as | | | | Textura calligraphy used with manual copying of |
| well as Digital TV fonts, Set Top Boxes, Mobile | | | | books. A Gothic typeface was thus also carved by |
| Phone fonts, Game Consoles fonts, Embedded | | | | Johannes Gutenberg when he printed his 42-line Bible, |
| Systems, Consumer Electronics and other devices. | | | | including a large number of ligatures and common |
| Font History and Font Formats | | | | abbreviations. While in Germany, Gothic fonts were |
| There are different font formats - which one should | | | | quickly displaced, they remained in use in great |
| I choose? | | | | variance and are frequently also referred to as Old |
| OpenType fonts (.OTF) - OpenType is a scalable | | | | English Text fonts.Schwabacher typefaces were |
| format for computer fonts that was initially | | | | predominant in Germany from about 1480 to 1530. |
| developed by MicrosoftTM, then later joined by | | | | Most importantly, all of the works of Martin Luther, |
| AdobeTM Systems. OpenType fonts were first | | | | leading to the Protestant Reformation, as well as the |
| announced in 1996 and AdobeTM completed | | | | Apocalypse of Albrect Durer (1498) were printed in |
| conversion of its entire font library to OpenType | | | | this typeface. It was probably initially used by |
| around the end of 2002. In 2005, there were around | | | | Johannes Bamler, a printer from Augsburg, in 1472. |
| 10,000 fonts available in OpenType font format, with | | | | The origins of the font name are unclear; some |
| Adobe's font library making up under a third of the | | | | assume that the font was designed by a typeface |
| total. As of 2006, every major font foundry and | | | | carver from the village of Schwabach who worked |
| many minor ones were developing fonts in | | | | externally and was thus referred to as the |
| OpenType font format. | | | | Schwabacher.Most commonly known among the |
| TrueType fonts (TT or .TTF) - TrueType is a digital | | | | blackletter fonts as those of the Fraktur font family, |
| font technology that was designed by | | | | which stated when Emperor Maximilian I (1493 - 1519) |
| AppleTMComputer, and is now used by both Apple | | | | established a series of books and had a new |
| (MacTM) and Microsoft (PC) in their operating | | | | typeface created specifically for this purpose. Fraktur |
| systems. Microsoft has distributed millions of quality | | | | faces were widely used in Germany until the end of |
| TrueType fonts in thousands of different styles. | | | | World War II. |
| TrueType fonts offer the highest possible quality on | | | | 2. Serif Fonts Serif fonts are divided into four font |
| computer screens, printers, and include a wide range | | | | groups: Renaissance - this font type has a slight |
| of features which make them very easy to use. | | | | difference in thickness within each font. This font |
| PostScript Fonts(Type 1) - PostScript fonts predates | | | | category includes the GaramondTMand |
| TrueType by about six years. First, there were many | | | | PalatinoTMfont families.Baroque - this font type has a |
| different font formats for digital fonts, none of which | | | | thickness within each font with greater variety. This |
| were standardized. Then Apple adopted Adobe's | | | | font category includes the BaskervilleTMand Times |
| PostScript page description language (PDL) for its | | | | New RomanTM font families.Classicist - the most |
| Apple LaserWriter printer in 1985. This, combined with | | | | variance of thickness with each font. This font |
| the introduction of desktop publishing software, | | | | category includes the BodoniTMand Century |
| sparked a revolution in page layout technology. | | | | SchoolbookTM font families.Modern fonts - these |
| ClearType Fonts(found on AscenderFonts.com) - | | | | fonts are designed mainly for decorative purposes. |
| Microsoft ClearType fonts are an unprecedented | | | | This font category includes the RockwellTMand |
| innovation in font display technology that dramatically | | | | AmasisTM font families. |
| improves font display resolution and marks a genuine | | | | 3. Sans Serif Fonts Sans Serif fonts first appeared to |
| breakthrough in screen readability.These Microsoft | | | | be the "Egyptian" font released in 1816 by William |
| fonts were designed by Microsoft and leading type | | | | Caslons' foundry in England. The Sans Serif fonts are |
| designers and font technologists to improve the | | | | commonly used for display applications such as |
| reading experience in Windows VistaTMand Microsoft | | | | signage, headings and other applications where the |
| Office 2007TM.With ClearType font technology, the | | | | font is needed to stand out and continuous reading is |
| fonts on your computer screen look almost as sharp | | | | not a requirement. Sans Serif fonts are divided into |
| and clear as those printed on a piece of paper. | | | | four font groups: Grotesque - This font category |
| The choice of font format is mostly based on the | | | | includes the GrotesqueTMor Royal Gothic |
| kind of documents you create and your computer | | | | fonts.Neo-grotesques - This font category includes |
| environment. Here are some general guidelines: | | | | the Standard, ArialTMand UniversTM fonts.Humanist - |
| OpenType TT OpenType TT fonts contain | | | | This font category includes the Gill SansTMor |
| TrueType® outlines, and have a .TTF file | | | | FrutigerTM fonts.Geometric - This font category |
| extension. This is the default font format of both | | | | includes the FuturaTMor SpartanTM fonts. Other |
| Macintosh and Windows systems. OpenType fonts | | | | common Sans Serif fonts include: LucidaTM, |
| with TrueType outlines are popular among home | | | | TahomaTMand VerdanaTMfonts. |
| users and both small and large businesses or other | | | | How to Download fonts |
| enterprises. OpenType PS OpenType PS fonts | | | | makes is easy for you to download the font. For |
| contain PostScript® outlines, and have a .OTF file | | | | every item that you purchase there will be a |
| extension. OpenType PS fonts are replacing Type 1 | | | | download link on the order confirmation page. |
| fonts as users upgrade their systems. Type 1 | | | | Additionally, the receipt that is automatically emailed |
| PostScript Type 1 is the original font format that was | | | | to you will also have the links. For more information, |
| part of the desktop publishing revolution that started | | | | please view our Font Help page section on "How to |
| in 1985. Type 1 fonts for PostScript and PostScript | | | | Download Fonts" How to Install fonts provides font |
| compatible printers consist of more than one file and | | | | downloads in two forms: Automatic Installer for |
| have a limited character set. These limitations are | | | | Windows Manual install for Windows/Macintosh/Linux |
| overcome with OpenType fonts. | | | | Other For more information, please view our Font |
| Font Characteristics | | | | Installation page under Font Help. All trademarks are |
| Font Weight | | | | property of their respective owners. Please view our |
| There are three basic categories of font weights: | | | | Trademarks page for more information. |